This invention relates to circuit board electrical connectors.
With the advent of modern printed circuit board technology, the miniaturization of complex circuits and the drastic reduction of the manufacturing costs of the components on printed circuit boards, there is a need to have a reliable means of connecting interconnecting cables and wires to the printed circuit board.
In the case where the signals are of relatively low power, connection to circuit boards is easily facilitated by soldering wires directly to the printed circuit boards or connecting them to spade type terminals. However, this creates problems if the printed circuit board is subject to movements in that the soldered wire is brittle and will break with very little force. In the case where the signals being conducted to the printed circuit boards have a power rating on the order of 1 watt or greater, the prior art provided for the mounting of terminal blocks to the printed circuit cards and connected the wires to these large, molded terminal blocks. The mounting of the terminal blocks to the printed circuit board is labor intensive and, as such, reduces the savings incurred by using printed circuit board technology. The prior art spade type terminals were unstable.